Florida is set to receive $7 million from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) under the National Emergency Grant award to assist workers who have been displaced as a result of the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. The funds are being granted to workforce agencies to increase their capacity to help workers now while they seek reimbursement from BP for the costs associated with retraining and re-employment assistance.
Other states receiving assistance from the Department of Labor are, Alabama and Mississippi, $5 million each, and Louisiana will receive $10 million.
“Working families in the Gulf Coast have been dealt a tremendous blow by this oil spill, and they are facing serious long-term challenges. They need and deserve our help now,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, in a statement. “From the start, we have been actively engaged in ensuring workers tackling the cleanup are kept safe and healthy. These grants will help those still looking for work find jobs that are good, safe and will help the region’s economy get back on track.”
Since April, the Labor Department has been involved in the Deepwater Horizon response. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is deployed across the Gulf Coast monitoring the cleanup and ensuring BP provides appropriate worker safety and health training and protections. Learn more at http://www.osha.gov/oilspills.
The department’s Employment and Training Administration has created One-Stop Career Centers where workers can receive information on unemployment insurance and job opportunities posted through the public workforce system.
Learn more by calling 877-US2-JOBS (872-5627), 877-872-5627 or 877-889-5627 TTY, or visiting http://www.careeronestop.org.
